The Houston Rockets travel to Detroit on Friday night to take on the Pistons in an inter-conference matchup. The Rockets have shown significant improvement this year under new head coach Ime Udoku and come into this matchup at 18-18. The Pistons have struggled from the start this year under their new head coach Monte Williams. They tied an NBA record with 28 consecutive losses and are just 3-35 coming into this game.

Rockets Ready to Launch

The Houston Rockets have hit a rough patch in what has otherwise been an exciting year for the young squad. On Wednesday night, the Rockets lost their second straight game on this Eastern Conference swing, 124-119 at Chicago, to fall to 18-18 on the season. The Rockets are now just 3-12 on the road this year. The Rockets fell behind early before a late rally fell short. Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 25 points, all in the second half. Fred VanVleet had 20 points and 10 assists while Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

“He played one half of basketball, basically,” coach Ime Udoka said of Sengun. “He decided to show up at halftime and exerted himself the way he normally does. You saw the player that he is.”

The Rockets hope to improve upon their 3-12 road record against the hapless Pistons on Friday night. The Rockets come in ranked 24th in points per game this season in the NBA. They are 24th in field goal percentage and 13th in 3-point shooting. The Rockets are also 17th in 3-point field goals per game. The new coaching staff has brought a defensive presence to this team. The Rockets are second in the NBA in points per game allowed. They are fourth in opponent’s field goal percentage and first in 3-point defense. On the glass, Houston is ranked sixth in total rebounds per game this season and they are a respectable 7th in turnovers per game.

Pistons Stuck in Gear

It has been a trying season for new head coach Monte Williams and the Pistons thus far. The team is coming off a dismal 28-game losing streak to set the record for the longest losing streak in a single season and has now dropped six straight games since breaking that streak. On Wednesday night, the Pistons fell to the visiting San Antonio Spurs 130-108. The Pistons were without their best player in Cade Cunningham but the effort didn’t appear to be their for Williams’ squad. Second-year center Jalen Duren had a solid night with 21 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort.

“The focus and discipline wasn’t there,” coach Williams said. “There’s nobody to look at other than me, not having guys ready to play.”

The struggling Pistons hope to end their current skid much quicker than their NBA record-tying losing streak that they recently ended. The Pistons come into this game ranked just 25th in scoring offense this season. They are 20th in field goal percentage and 28th in 3-point field goal percentage. The Pistons are also last in the league in 3-point field goals per game. On the defensive end, the Pistons are 27th in points allowed per game thus far. They are 26th in field goal defense and 26th in 3-point defense. The team has struggled with turnovers, ranked 29th in the NBA in turnovers per game. They are also a below-average rebounding team, ranked 23rd in total rebounds per game.